Zeroed In
by SexinSatin
Summary: What happens when Ziva decides she's done waiting...
1. Risk

Ziva stared at herself in the mirror and wondered if she had gone mad. It was entirely possible; after all she was dressed to kill all with the intent of seducing a man that may not have the slightest interest in her. For another man she might have chosen a dress but for some reason she'd instead chosen something a bit edgier. Second skin black leather tucked into matching spike heel boots weren't out of her norm but he hadn't seen her in them before. The corset style shirt paired with a leather jacket was her own weakness; the blue was to match his eyes. Her hair was long and straight because the last time she'd worn it that way he'd smiled in appreciation. At least she thought that's what she'd seen.

Biting her lip she pushed away the doubt that threatened. She'd waited years hoping he would make a move and the occasional look her way had convinced her he wanted more than just the casual work relationship they maintained. But as the time neared to walk out her door those doubts became a loud roar. She'd heard him telling Tony he was venturing out that evening to have a drink or two. The invite had been for Tony's ears only and she'd been surprised when Tony had refused saying he had a date. Staring again in the mirror she stuck out her tongue and laughed at the effort she'd put into her appearance. He'd seen her at her very worst more than once. But the outfit was as much for her as it was for him. She wanted to walk in the bar and make a statement not only to him but to herself.

Half an hour later and she was sitting in her car staring at the door of said bar feeling her stomach churn. If she was wrong, if this went badly work would be hell and there was the chance it could go so wrong she'd have to leave NCIS. But, even that thought wasn't enough to stop her from walking toward that door. The way he'd looked at her the other day when she'd mentioned a fictitious date was what propelled her through the door. She stood blinking for a moment taking in the people in the room, the exits and searching for the man that never left her thoughts. He was talking to a woman with blond hair. The first kick of jealousy in her stomach almost made her stumble as she made her way to the bar. After a breath and ordering a shot of whiskey she could read his body language and the very clear lack of interest as he spoke.

Then he was looking at her, stopping mid-sentence his eyes swung to hers and the surprise had him watching her just long enough to force the blond to look her way as well. Ziva could feel the eyes of multiple men watching her. It wasn't arrogance just an awareness of her situation. She ignored them in favor of downing her whiskey in a single shot. Gibbs turned ever so slightly toward her and something in that subtle shift of his shoulders had her moving forward again. The blond said something and Gibbs frowned and shook his head. Ziva felt someone approaching her and ignored him as easily as she did the blond.

All her focus was zeroed in on Gibbs and holding onto her courage. Only a foot between them and she was left with what to do next, she thought about a witty hello but that wasn't what her mind was telling her to do. Instead her body had jumped into overdrive, taking in the fine cut of the suit he'd worn to work. He wore them rarely usually only to mandatory meetings like the one today. But when he did her figures never failed to itch with the urge to slide said suit off of him.

She paused momentarily when the blond glared daggers at her, she smirked and turned her attention back to the moment she'd been waiting for. She walked even closer throwing personal space to the wind. Reaching forward she let her hand wrap around his tie. It was a cliché but dammed if it didn't make her hormones stand up and dance. She met his gaze letting all of her intent show, watched a brief hint of surprise followed by naked lust and smiled again. Pulling him closer with a simple tug of the silk around his neck she pressed her lips to his. Her intention had been a brief kiss just enough to make her point. But it seemed his patience had been tested too long as well. As their mouths met she felt him wrapping an arm around her waist, her fingers dug into his shoulders all because the feel of his tongue thrusting in her mouth damn near took her off her feet.

It was almost indecent the way she kissed him back. She was staking a claim and it didn't matter who was watching. She heard a whistle, a few not so hushed whispers and a few lewd comments. None of it mattered; all that mattered was the way his hand cupped the back of her head holding her in place. The kiss could have lasted seconds or hours but when they finally broke apart she wasn't entirely steady on her feet. A heated glance at him told her he wasn't as steady as he might have liked either.

A subtle glance around them told Ziva the blond had left and that made her smile again. He saw her smile and suddenly she was blushing. That intense blue gaze stripped her bare right there in the bar and the flush on her skin followed his gaze. The surprise in them wasn't entirely gone but it was overwhelmed by satisfaction and almost smug knowledge. It seemed almost as though he'd been waiting for her to reach her breaking point. She waited; his next move would decide everything.


	2. Need

Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh as he watched the shark like blond eyeing him. A man his age should have been flattered. Truth be told he was annoyed. She'd been watching him since he'd walked into the bar and his hope had been that if he ignored her she'd keep her distance. He rarely went to bars but tonight the constant spinning of his mind had forced him out of his too quiet house. The invite to Tony had been almost out of desperation; conversation even work related would have been better than being alone with his need.

Ziva David spent far too much time in his thoughts lately. And too many of those thoughts involved her naked on his bedroom floor. He grinned to himself, the blond across the room took it as an invitation and sauntered his way. He barely bit back a rude response to her attempt at a sultry hello. Everything about her lacked everything that made him want Ziva. The blond was surface pretty, all softness and curls. Every bit of her was polished right down to her hot pink nails. He grimaced as he bit out a polite hello.

Ziva was the perfect mix of dangerous edges and seductive curves. She was feminine even with her short nails and normally restrained no nonsense hair. The fact she could kill a man only kicked the attraction factor higher. He had to bite back a smile as he thought about just how twisted that was. Something about the last week had made his normally well-ordered control strain at its leash. Maybe it was the fact he hadn't had a woman in longer than he cared to admit. More likely it was the fact he'd caught Ziva staring at him as though he were on the menu during a team dinner. He tried to tell himself it was simply his overworked imagination, seeing things that weren't really there.

Yet he hadn't imagined the way her hand had brushed his or the way she'd looked at him when she caught him watching her brush her hair earlier that week. Simple things that had no business turning him inside out; but they did which is why he was in a bar sipping whiskey and wishing the woman whose name he hadn't paid attention to would get the hint and leave him alone. He thought for certain he was going to have to resort to being rude when he felt a not so subtle shift in the air.

All his senses went on alert at the same time he heard a man behind him swear in the way men did when they saw a woman they knew was out of their league. He turned and found those haunting brown eyes watching him. A brief slide of jealousy followed by a possessive smirk, she shot down her drink in one swallow. He almost moved toward her but something held him back. Her eyes slipped to the blond, then traced the room again. As he did the same he had to clench his fist at the way the men in the room were watching her. But then she started toward him, them as he remembered the blond standing next to him. The blond said something but he just shook his head.

His focus was on Ziva, dressed like sex and magic he watched as she ignored a man brave enough to make his way toward her. Instead her eyes never left his, another smile and she was within a foot of him. Finally it seemed there was no space left between them. Strong fingers wrapped around his tie, the same hands that could wield a knife with dangerous accuracy were pulling him closer with every tick of the clock.

A whisper of a sigh and her mouth was meeting his, he felt the intended gentleness. As well as he knew her could also feel the slightest bit of uncertainty. Afraid she would pull away he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her indecently close. It was a damn good thing he did, as her mouth opened beneath his and her hips slid against him his body responded in a way reserved for much younger men. Trying to control his reaction he pushed his frustration out with strong strokes of his tongue in her mouth. A hard to deny rhythm she had no trouble matching.

They broke apart and she took an unsteady step back, the high table between him and the rest of the bar was the only thing that maintained his dignity. The blond was gone and he saw the satisfaction in Ziva's smile. He looked her up and down not bothering to censor the nature of that look. Once again he was clenching his fists, forcing down the last of his drink hoping it would burn off the lack of control that threatened. The whole damn bar was watching but the only thing she seemed to notice was him. The slow tide of pink that washed over her skin followed the path of his eyes as he took in the way she was dressed. That blush told him she'd chosen in the hopes of pleasing him. The surprise of that gave way to satisfaction. Damn if she didn't know just what he liked, right down to the subtle thrust of the knife hilt at her waist.

Neither of them said a word, it should have been awkward instead it was comforting. Their communication went beyond words. She was waiting for him, in front of everyone she was telling him she wanted him and waiting to see what he would do next. That kind of risk wasn't lost to him. Finishing the last bit of his drink he held out his hand. Grateful he'd taken a cab and only had a single drink he watched her lift an eyebrow and drop her keys in his palm. Throwing caution to the wind he walked her out of the bar


	3. Unwrapped

Ziva was amazed at the silence Gibbs had maintained on the drive to her house. It should have been strained, awkward and yet that silence spoke volumes. He drove at a breakneck speed that belied his silence. As he slid into her driveway she wasn't sure what to expect, but cool as could be he slipped from the car came around and opened her door.

It wasn't until he turned her house key in the lock that the silence was finally broken. The door slammed shut behind them and suddenly her back was pressed roughly against the fine wood. His mouth was on hers groaning out her name. Those rough syllables voiced his need just as the press of his hips against hers took her breath. In seconds her jacket was on the floor, her knife went sliding across the hardwood. Not one to be left behind she stripped him of his jacket and tie wondering how she stayed upright as his mouth traced kisses along her bare shoulders.

Gibbs felt her strip off his shirt, and then the first touch of her hands on his bare skin. He couldn't hide his reaction as her nails skated along his back, the rough growl as he said her name again and again wasn't one he recognized. The shock in her eyes as he hit his knees made the loss of her hands on his skin bearable. Slowly with a patience he didn't have he stripped her of her boots and socks. He slid his hands up the smooth black leather until his hands were hooked in the heavier leather of her belt. He wanted her bare, naked on his bed just as his imagination had teased him with. But they were in her house, and nowhere near her bedroom. And they weren't going to make it there this time.

Ziva saw the moment Gibbs lost the last of his control, the blaze of passion in his eyes flared brighter. He shed himself of his own shoes, socks and belt tossing them carelessly aside. Something tore as he pulled off his remaining clothing. But even that didn't take his gaze from her. Only seconds later and her corset and pants were littered on the floor with her panties that also tore as he pulled them off. Again her back met the wood door that would never look the same again.

"Been waiting for this for too long Ziva." The words slid out like silk across her skin as his mouth once again took hers. There was no hesitation in his touch. His hands slid over every curve as if he'd felt them before. As his mouth nipped at her nipple she felt his hand in her hair pulling firmly, the sensation had her calling out his name in a broken gasp.

Gibbs wanted to take his time, to learn every curve and hollow of her body but his own was demanding more. Pressing his hips to hers his cock slid between her thighs just brushing against her and again she was chanting his name. She was hot and wet as his fingers slid inside of her and then her hand wrapped around him. His knees almost gave with every long stroke of her fingers. He took another nipple his mouth biting lightly and around his fingers her muscles tightened until his cock was twitching with envy.

"Please Jethro, I need…" Ziva's words broke off as his hands anchored on her waist and with a shift of his hips he rested just shy of entering her.

Gibbs heard her need recognized the echo of it in his own. Her hands were buried in his hair her mouth just a breath away from his. "What do you need Ziva, tell me, tell me what you want."

Ziva felt the sweat that broke out on them both as she raised first one leg and the other wrapping her legs around his waist. His hands cupped her bottom kneading and stroking as he waited for her response. "I need you inside me; I do not want to wait any longer."

Gibbs used the brace of the wall behind them and entered her in one full stroke. As hot and ready as she was for him it was a shock to feel how tight she wrapped around him. His eyes met hers to be certain she hadn't felt any discomfort. Instead they were cloudy with the same sensation that had him grasping her ass tight. He could stay just like this and come in seconds. It would take no more than watching her like this to pull him over the edge. But the not so gentle way she pushed her hips against his had him chuckling softly. "Yes Ziva we have both waited long enough."

Ziva finally knew what it was like to have Gibbs inside her and it was more than she had imagined. Again he didn't hold back instead he thrust forcefully inside her, keeping a rhythm that would have felled a younger man. She thought the pleasure might actually cause her to blackout. Instead every nerve felt awakened, on edge just shy of shattering into thousands of pieces. Only when his eyes found hers again and the pace of his thrusts took on an almost fevered pitch did she finally splinter into the pieces that had threatened.

Gibbs felt the moment her body came apart and lucky bastard that he was he saw it in her eyes as well. The satin of her wrapped around his cock tightened almost enough to bring him to his knees. Her hands dug into his shoulders branding him as her own and dark brown eyes met his ecstasy fracturing in their depths.

The cry that echoed around them made him chest beating proud. She held nothing back, meeting each of his thrusts with a push of her hips. He should have been tired should have brought them both to the nearest soft surface instead he felt lightning skate across muscle and bone. He shook as he thrust a final time, only then did his own release find him. Like a wave of fire his skin burned with sweat and the scent of the woman in his arms. As the rough edges of his orgasm took the last bit of his strength he lowered them to the ground landing them on the pile of their clothing. At some point he would breathe normally again, and at some point they would have to have a conversation. But, that would have to wait until they could breathe again.


	4. Professions

Ziva felt Gibbs move beneath her and couldn't stop the way her hands moved to stop him. Only after a quick deep breath was she able to gently pull her fingers from his shoulders.

"Ziva?" Gibbs knew the woman wrapped around him far better than she might have liked. He felt the way she moved to stop him and knew the why as well.

Ziva sat up gingerly feeling spots where well-earned bruises would soon show. "Sorry." She turned away reaching for something to cover up with until his fingers forced her face back to his. She knew she didn't hide her doubt quickly enough. "I was not, am not ready for you to leave." It took courage to share that truth and she swallowed down the fear to the best of her ability.

Gibbs hated whoever had put the doubt rarely seen before now in her eyes. "Wasn't planning to leave Ziva, just thought maybe we could move somewhere softer." She bit her lip and a flush similar to the one from earlier moved across her skin. "Unless you were asking me to…leave that is?"

Ziva closed her eyes at his reassurance, feeling the bits of a smile tugging at her lips. "No was not asking, and yes somewhere softer would be nice." To her shock the world around her started moving as he picked her up and in one movement was taking them toward her bedroom.

Gibbs threw back the heavy cream comforter aside and tumbled them both into bed; it was slightly less than graceful and worth it when she laughed. He grinned when she looked at him sitting next to her and a stuffed bunny and laughed even harder. It was hard not to chuckle when she was suddenly laughing so hard she almost fell off the side of the bed. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath and even then every time there eyes met she was giggling again.

Ziva could finally breathe again, even with her favorite bunny sitting next to a naked Jethro Gibbs. "I am better now…..." she watched him pull the sheet around his waist giving the bunny an annoyed look and almost lost it again. "mostly." Carefully she took the bunny and set it aside taking a throw and covering herself.

Gibbs watched the soft blue wrap around her and wished she'd left the fabric on the floor. "Like you better naked Ziva."

Any leftover laughter disappeared and once again her body was responding to him. She was not normally a shy woman but with Gibbs in this moment she couldn't stop yet another blush from stealing over her skin. "Thank you, I feel the same."

Gibbs almost teased her but instead shifted closer to her. The nervous way her hand pushed aside her hair was in direct opposition to the forceful way she'd made her need known in the bar. "I wondered if I was crazy, glad I wasn't"

"Crazy?" He was tracing the skin of her chest just above the fold of the throw and her thinking wasn't as clear as it could have been.

"Knew I wanted you couldn't be sure you felt the same, but you cleared that right up." He kissed her, gently this time savoring his ability to do so. "Glad you did."

"For just a moment in the bar I thought I had interrupted a date." She bit her lip looked at him and then shrugged. "I figured even if I was it was worth the risk, you were worth the risk."

Her words the depth of emotion in them resounded truth and it shook him. For a moment he didn't know what to say and then he decided to simply go with the truth. "I knew when I ordered that drink tonight that I was going to finish it and then come here. I was done with wondering and waiting. Figured if you tossed me out on my ass I could always retire."

Ziva looked down at their hands; fingers intertwined and knew the road ahead of them was as potentially as long and rough as the one so recently behind them. "I will probably say this wrong but that makes me feel better."

Gibbs knew from the nervous twisting of her fingers in his just what she was trying to say. "Only stayed working as long as I have because I could see you every day." Her eyes shot to his full of surprise and something else that made him wonder if he wasn't actually crazy.

"You know I have been asked back to Israel many times." She watched him nod and the realization of why she hadn't gone hit him.

There was a lot he could have said many words that would have filled the silence before he could speak he pulled her closer against his chest. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head he pulled in a deep breath it was his turn to take a risk, to take a leap of faith much like the one she'd taken in the bar. He was a brave man had stared down death and tragedy more than once but here and now his courage almost left him. But this was his chance his moment, not like any other he knew if he didn't reach for it the chance wouldn't come again. "I want more than just tonight Ziva, more than just taking you against a door in a heated moment. I want you all of you."

Ziva felt his words vibrating through his chest into her, into her soul. Each word bored into her until she felt the importance of them in every pore. Gibbs was not a man who shared his emotions well, yet here in her bed in her arms he was baring himself to her with more than his nudity. Beneath her cheek his heart beat a furious rhythm, the clamoring spoke of a fear he would never had admitted and she would never have acknowledged. It was enough to know that she was that important. That worthy of his love. Turning to him she cupped his jaw in her hands. "I want more than tonight, I want every night." As her mouth pressed against his she felt his sigh of relief, it crept inside her soul to lodge firmly in her heart.


	5. Darkness

The call that had pulled them from Ziva's bed three nights earlier had taken any other conversation they might have had and forced it aside. The bloody killings of three Navy women had the team far too busy for anything resembling a personal life. They managed a few hours now and then of sleep at their desks but aside from that they were all running on fumes and caffeine. Once, Ziva had managed to tangle her fingers with his when he'd stood behind her desk for a moment. It almost scared him when he thought about how much that simple gesture had meant to him.

Somehow they'd both managed to keep their focus, following the sloppy evidence left behind by their killer. The rage and fury of the killings had left a bloody trail that meant it was only a matter of time and bodies before they found the man responsible. A civilian intent on covering up the fact he'd killed his wife in fit of jealous rage. The other women had been casualties of his bent and twisted mind. Now they approached a pool hall he was known to frequent. Gibbs felt his stomach twist in a way he hadn't known before as Ziva walked in first. They had back up waiting just around the corner but had decided to go in as just a team in a hope of keeping down any further casualties.

He was forced to swallow down a hint of bile as Tony and then McGee followed behind her. His gut was telling him this wasn't going to end well. Watching Ziva case the room he briefly saw her wrapped in his arms tangled in her sheets and a shiver of fear had him steeling his shoulders. This was why relationships in teams didn't work. He was focused on his job but it was harder than it had been four nights ago. They fanned out Ziva taking point as he stayed by the front door. McGee took the only other exit in dimly lit room that stank of stale beer. Gibbs was forced to roll his shoulders trying to rid himself of the foreboding that had a firm hold on him.

He managed a quick glance to Ziva as Tony approached a group of men at the first pool table. She saw his look nodded and adjusted her stance. It shouldn't have but that simple shift in her demeanor reminded him why he wanted more than just a night with her, needed more than just time in her bed. Shifting his attention back where he belonged, he listened to Tony questioning the men in front of him. He instantly dismissed them as non-threatening. It was apparent they were regulars and they were being cooperative. Even as the thought filtered through his mind he felt the hairs on his neck stand up, the electricity of danger had him reaching for his gun as he felt someone large coming up to his left.

The cold slide of metal against his throat had him freezing just before he could raise his gun. Ziva's dark brown eyes filled with fear found his across the barrel of her gun. Gibbs was like any other man he felt fear and the feel of the knife and the memory of the bodies they found left him no doubt the man holding him would in fact kill him. But the true fear came from the sadness barely hidden in Ziva's eyes. It wasn't till he felt the warm trickle of his own blood running past his collar that he understood that sadness.

The man behind him was shouting, making demands trying to bargain his way out of a no win situation. Gibbs didn't really understand what he was saying, he felt underwater everything was just enough muffled that he had trouble making sense of it. The only thing he knew for sure was that Ziva was starting to cry. Silver tears tracked down her cheeks, the gun in her hand stayed steady and her focus was true but the tears were nearly his undoing. The press of metal became almost unbearable but even as the pain bit at the dark edges trying to claim him he saw the decision in Ziva's eyes. The gun in her hands raised just a millimeter higher a nearly imperceptible shift of her hands. Looking down the barrel of her gun Gibbs knew if he died she would never forgive herself, and yet he knew he would die having known the joy of her even if it was only for a moment.

He looked her straight in the eye, and smiled. Letting his hands drop to his sides he said a long forgotten prayer and closed his eyes giving into the faith he had in her and her abilities. The shot was deafening as it launched from the gun and burned a hot trail across his cheek. The thick liquid thud of it entering the man behind him warred with the knife biting slightly deeper. He reached out to try to break his fall but was met with nothingness and the hard floor as his body refused to cooperate.

His lungs felt tight and as he tried to take a breath he saw drops of blood tossed into the air. They were even more obscene when they landed on the satin skin of Ziva's face as she hovered above him. She was crying freely now, chanting his name as she had their night together. This time her tone was of desperation as she pressed something tightly to his neck. Only through sheer force of will was he finally able to bring his hand up to touch her face. Somehow he forced words from his ravaged throat. "I wanted always…wanted to love you for always."

She was trying to smile for him, fighting for him, pushing harder and harder against his throat. But it was easy to see the blood spilling around them. He felt the inky blackness trying harder and harder to claim him but he wasn't done yet. He wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her closer than he should have, with a smile he pressed a kiss against her mouth. Only then did he allow the blackness to take over.


	6. Blurred

Tony knew the moment things went haywire; somehow they'd missed a small alcove holding an ancient pay phone just shy of the front door. When their suspect slid out from behind it and managed a knife at Gibbs' throat he knew they were well and truly screwed. No one on the team had any doubt he was fully capable of killing Gibbs. He had nothing to lose and the way he'd left the bodies of the women he'd killed said he enjoyed the knife just as any good homicidal maniac did.

But it wasn't until he saw the first line of blood on Gibbs' throat that he felt his own grow cold. Gibbs' hand froze in the act of reaching for his gun, left with tossing it to the ground as the man instructed. Both McGee and Ziva joined him in raising their guns to meet the threat. But for the first time he wasn't entirely sure they would all make it out unscathed. He risked a quick glance to Ziva, and felt an even deeper shaft of fear when he saw the same emotion stamped on her features.

Ziva was rarely afraid, and never had it been as apparent as it was now. The suspect raged demanding freedom, justice for the perceived wrongs against him all of which fell on deaf ears. Ziva had the clearest potential for a shot so Tony remained watchful. The knife at Gibbs throat sank just that much deeper and the blood was a steady drip down his collar. Risking another glance at Ziva shock slammed into him. Tears ran down her face. Her gun remained steady, her focus true but the agonizing sadness as she looked at Gibbs had his own eyes stinging.

Before Tony could register what that meant Gibbs was smiling at Ziva; lowering his hands and then closing his eyes. The shot was true; the back of the suspects head was sprayed against the window behind him. But all Tony could see was the arc of blood as Gibbs hit the floor. Even as he and McGee raced toward Gibbs Ziva was already there tearing off her jacket and pressing it against the devastating wound. She was openly sobbing calling his name again and again as she tried to stem the tide of blood pooling around them.

Tony could already hear their back up pouring into the room, and the wail of a siren. But as he watched her he knew none of that had sunk in with Ziva. All her attention was focused on the man at her feet. Tony was grateful McGee had taken lead, directing the back up where it was needed. He couldn't have pulled himself away if he'd tried. Suddenly Gibbs' eyes flew open focused on Ziva, he didn't see Vance as he preceded the EMT's. The older man's hand wrapped in her hair smiling and whispering words that shocked Tony, giving him truer understanding into Ziva's agony.

Gibbs was pulling her closer placing the gentlest kiss to her mouth. There was so much love in that simple moment that Tony felt like a voyeur. But he was snapped from his revere as Gibbs slumped away from Ziva and she was screaming out Gibbs' name demanding he fight. He was forced to pull her away when she wouldn't move for the EMT's. She pulled away from him, tearing herself from his arms to stand by as the EMT's tried their best.

In only minutes the EMT's had him on a gurney and loaded in an ambulance that screamed away. The pool hall was shockingly quiet as Vance looked at him with a multitude of questions in his eyes. Even the patrons that had been frozen by the action seemed to be waiting for something though until she took a halting step he hadn't realized they'd been waiting for Ziva. She looked at Vance cocked her head shook it as though confused and then down at her hands.

Ziva couldn't make sense of the lack of sound around her the silence was painful. It had all been so loud until the ambulance had roared away and now there was a vacuum of sound. It scraped across her raw nerves and made every step she tried to take painful. In her mind she was screaming, stuck feeling Gibbs' blood running across her hands. Only then did she look at those hands, the ones that had taken so many lives and yet likely failed to save the one that mattered most. The bright crimson stains on her palms twisted her stomach, her own reflection in the bar mirror stopped her cold. Flecks of blood spattered her cheeks, and her once white shirt was a tide of red that had her swaying with dizziness.

Her skin suddenly felt hot, too tight against her muscles, the dead body of their suspect mocked her from the ground across from her and her stomach heaved. She opened her mouth trying desperately to say something to break the crushing silence anything to alleviate the guilt that was trying to slice her into pieces. Vance stepped toward her just one single footfall but it was more than she could take, her stomach forced its way up her throat pushing her out the door to stand over the trash can there. Again and again she was sick only when she tasted bile did the icy night air cool her enough to allow her to lean against the building.

She felt Vance step out next to her, felt him looking at her but still she had no words for him. The tears were spilling again and she was trembling. His coat placed around her shoulders helped little but she accepted it anyways. He held out his hand showing her his keys and his intent to take her to the hospital the ambulance now raced towards. Such a simple movement yet it reminded her of the one that had brought her and Gibbs to this moment. Following Vance she wondered if fate had any favors left for them.


	7. Sinking

Ziva paced the private waiting room trying not to think about whether or not Gibbs was dead. They'd gotten only the briefest update that he required surgery before they'd been left alone again. She knew Vance was watching her carefully and even understood the why of it. It didn't make it any easier; the heavy weight of his gaze chafed her already raw emotions. He had questions they all would and none of it mattered to her. All she wanted was to breathe again, to know that Gibbs wasn't lost to her forever.

Ziva heard the door open and spun around unable to hide her disappointment when Jackie stepped in rather than a doctor with news. Jackie stopped short and it took Ziva a moment to realize why. Covered in Gibbs' blood as she was it had to be a horrific sight.

Jackie swallowed hard and after a quick look at her husband managed a smile for Ziva. "I brought you some clothes, and when I checked in at the nurse's station they told me where you could take a shower if you want." Jackie tread carefully Ziva looked fragile in a way she didn't recognize and she only knew the barest of details. The phone call from Leon had been brief only telling her that Gibbs had been wounded and Ziva needed clothing.

Ziva looked at the blood on her hands and almost refused. The stains seemed a fair penance for her inability to save him. Still, she found herself nodding. She felt lost and very much like the young girl she hadn't been in years. "Thank you, I'm sure I look…."

Jackie shook her head. "Just want you to be comfortable." Jackie wished she had the time to talk to Leon. Ziva was so close to broken Jackie felt her heart thudding with worry, combined with the amount of the blood dried on her Jackie wondered if there was any hope for Gibbs.

Ziva almost flinched when Vance handed her some plastic bags and gloves. "You should bag your clothes for evidence…just in case."

Vance managed to hold her gaze even when he watched pain lance through them, he expected tears instead she just nodded. Then she was walking away with his wife.

Ziva stepped into the hallway and almost bumped into Abby and Ducky. She heard Ducky's indrawn breath sharp and painful and Abby's muffled sob. Both were nearly too much. It was all she could do to hold herself together. But she owed it to them to give them some sort of explanation. "He is in surgery that is all we know for now."

Jackie gave them both a sharp look, pleading with them not to ask her anymore questions. "We're just going to get Ziva changed. Vance is in there." She nodded toward the room they'd just left. Thankfully they took the hint nodded and passed through the door.

Jackie watched as a few nurses, patients and random strangers watched them as they made their way down the hall toward the showers. The shock was quickly followed by sympathy and the hints of respect. The badge around Ziva's neck and the letters on her hat earned her the careful distance and the lack of questions Jackie was grateful for. The showers were individual units, so Jackie settled the bag of clothes she'd brought along with toiletries on the provided bench. Turning to Ziva she brushed back a stray hair from her cheek. "I'll wait for you out here."

Ziva looked into Jackie's kind eyes and managed a trace of a smile. "No go back and stay with the others, if they come with an update…"

"I'll get you right away." She watched Ziva pull the lanyard holding her badge over her head.

"Would you hold this please?" Ziva handed it over wondering if she would ever have the courage to wear it again.

Jackie nodded and folded it into her palm. "Take your time." Ziva nodded and stepped into the room locking the door behind her. Jackie looked at the door for a long moment and then made her way back to Vance and the answers she knew he had.

Ziva went through the motions of washing, shuddering as the water turned red and swirled down the drain. Her tears flowed just as freely, pulling from her the fear that seemed to have become a part of every movement. She dried and dressed in the clothing Jackie must have purchased on her way to the hospital. Tossing the tags into the trash she wondered how Jackie had known her size but it was such a mundane thought she couldn't come up with an answer. Jeans and a comfortable sweatshirt made her just another person walking down the hallway this time. Standing outside the door of the waiting room she hesitated. She was known for her strength and in this moment all her strength seemed to have abandoned her. Taking a deep breath she forced her shoulders back, head high and stepped into the room. Their team was there, even Tony and McGee which meant more time then she'd realized had passed. Setting aside the evidence bags and backpack Jackie had provided she wiped her hands on her jeans and accepted the fierce hug Abby gave her. She held on a bit longer than she normally would have.

A quick look at Tony told her that at least for now Abby and Ducky didn't know the more intimate details of what had transpired at the bar. She tried to find her voice only to hear the door open. A man in surgical gear faced them.

"I'm Dr. Reynolds. Agent Gibbs is in recovery right now. He required quite a bit of blood, and the repair to his throat was extensive. The next few hours will tell us more but it looks like he will recover." Ziva felt the relief of everyone behind her but she was watching the surgeon closely and knew there was more.

"What are you not telling us?" She heard her voice strong and demanding and was as surprised by it as the doctor seemed to be.

"I was getting there. Agent Gibbs may or may not have suffered enough blood loss to cause damage to the brain. We won't know until he wakes up and we can assess him. And, the knife did some damage to his vocal cords, it's not a common injury but it did require repair as well. At this point I couldn't tell you whether or not he'll be able to speak when he wakes up." Dr. Reynolds saw the woman in front of him take the news like a body blow. She physically trembled and took a step toward the nearest chair.

"But, he will live?" she saw the doctor turn his surgical cap in his hands and meet her gaze.

"No one can say for certain, but based on how he is doing now yes, he should live."

"I would like to see him please." Ziva asked but it was clear to anyone listening that it was a demand.

Dr. Reynolds almost refused but something about the way everyone watched her told him the ensuing argument would be one he wouldn't win. Nodding he spoke carefully. "I'll have a nurse take you to him."

Ziva watched him walk out of the room and only then could she breathe again. She felt Jackie drape an arm around her shoulder, felt the confusion mixed with questions from the others in the room. But all she could do was watch the door waiting for the nurse to take her to her future.


	8. Spent

Ziva stepped into Gibbs room, she moved quietly trying not to rustle the protective gown she had been instructed to wear. She had to hide the way it shook her seeing him lying there so still, skin pale like parchment. Tubes and wires traced his frame to the various machines around the room. She stood by his bed only sinking into the nearby chair when she could see the steady rise and fall of his chest. The tube in his throat shouldn't have scared her but it made her heart pound far too fast.

Gently she took his hand in her own. It was warmer than she would have expected, tears pricking her eyelids she laid her head on his chest breathing out a sigh of relief at the steady thud of his heart underneath her. She cried silently, trying to hold any sound to herself. The reassuring beat of his heart was the only thing keeping her from dissolving into a fit of sorrow right there next to him. She could hear the beep of the machine in sync with every beat and it soothed her, lulling her into a sleep she hadn't meant to give into.

Tony watched Ziva sleep; it had been almost an hour since she'd gone to Gibbs' room. The worry had drifted around the room when she didn't return as quickly as they had thought she would. He'd made his way to Gibbs' room with the flash of his badge and the fatigue stamped on his face. He'd stayed on the other side of the glassed in room out of respect for the love so firmly etched in Ziva's features, even in her sleep. Tony couldn't begin to guess how they'd all missed it. But whatever had grown between the pair in front of him it was powerful enough that it was visible to anyone looking now.

Melanie walked slowly toward the man wearing the badge and a grim sort of smile. He watched her patient quietly and then glanced at her and the smile widened a bit.

"I'm not going in, just checking on him…and her." Tony ran a hand through his hair and fought a yawn. The nurse gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I was only supposed to let her stay a few minutes but she fell asleep and well I just couldn't bring myself to wake her up." Looking up at the man she saw something akin to alarm on his face and then another wry grin.

"It's a good thing you didn't; Ziva doesn't react well to being startled. If you need her moved it's probably best if you have one of us do it." Remembering his manners Tony stuck out his hand. "Tony, I work for him."

Melanie took his hand and shook. "He's already improving which is more than a little surprising."

"Not for Gibbs." Tony saw her raise an eyebrow and just shook his head. "The bossman isn't good at dying." He saw her smile and pointed at the couple through the glass. "Neither is she. You might not know it to look at her but she's likely more dangerous than him. Also she's probably why he's alive tonight; she refused to let him die. Ziva likes to get her way."

"The warning is well taken Tony I won't bother her and I'll see that no one else does unless absolutely necessary." She looked at him seeing the fatigue that often came with visitors to her ward. "You okay, do you or the others need anything? We have volunteers that help."

Tony shook his head and then paused. "Actually coffee would be nice a lot of it. A few more people have already showed up and more will come. In a couple hours his dad will be here."

"And hers?" Melanie watched as he frowned. "Having family around will be helpful for her as well."

"Hadn't thought about it, they weren't on the best of terms for a while, but they've been better." Tony frowned again. "We're a complicated team and until tonight we didn't know that they…were together." The words stuck in Tony's throat not because of any misgivings but simply because of the replay of Gibbs hitting the floor in his mind.

"Oh, rough night then." The words felt inadequate but they were all she had. "I need to check on another patient but I'll make sure someone brings by some coffee. You all should try to get some rest as well; he has a long road ahead of him."

Tony nodded watched her walk away and then stared at Ziva and Gibbs a moment longer. Finally he was able to make his way back to the waiting room. As he'd predicted the hallway outside the waiting room was already filling. Various members of NCIS, a few friends Gibbs knew from a diner he visited. He briefly wondered who might have called but in reality it didn't matter. The two bodyguards outside the door truly surprised him. Once he stepped into the room he understood. Eli David stood in a corner of the room talking on his phone. Vance rubbed a hand over his face "Had no idea he was in town, he just showed up here."

Tony looked at Vance wondering just how much he'd told Director David. Vance only shook his head and Tony breathed out a sigh of relief. No one could predict how Eli would react to the news of a relationship between his daughter and a man he barely tolerated on a good day. A man who had killed his only son, Tony felt the acid burn of too little sleep and too much coffee hit his stomach.

Tony watched Eli David notice him, hang up his phone and then slowly approach him. "Director David."

Eli felt the room grow quiet and while he knew from Vance's reassurance that Ziva was safe he also knew that there was something they all weren't telling him. "Agent DiNozzo, how is Agent Gibbs doing?"

"He's stable for now and from what the nurse just told me, improving already." The information was as much for him as for the rest of the room. "I didn't realize you were in town."

Eli nodded "It is always safer if I do not announce my visits. I would like to see Ziva, see for myself she is well."

The demand Tony would have expected was more of a request and it shocked him. "She's sleeping. She went to check on Gibbs and fell asleep. I didn't want to disturb her."

Eli still felt the nagging suspicion that Tony wasn't telling him everything and he wondered if Ziva was indeed as safe as they claimed she was. "I would still like to see her, I'm sure you wouldn't mind taking me to her. I understand hospital rules and will of course not disturb her or Gibbs but you will understand that I need to see that she is safe with my own eyes."

Tony nodded hardly in a position to refuse the man either on a professional or a personal level. He nodded and allowed Eli to follow him back down the hallway wondering if what Gibbs and Ziva shared would be as obvious to her Father as it now was to the rest of them.

* * *

Thank you for staying with this story I promise it's going good places.

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	9. Awakening

Tony approached Gibbs' room as slowly as possible, he knew Eli had questions yet the other man remained quiet. As they approached his room Tony saw the nurse from earlier stepping out of the room. She was just pulling the door closed as she saw him.

"You're back." Her voice was hushed until the door was completely shut. "She woke up about five minutes ago, asked for a scarf."

Tony mirrored her confusion until he heard Eli whisper something in what he guessed to be Hebrew and turned his attention to Ziva and Gibbs. Ziva stood at Gibbs' bedside her head and shoulders gracefully draped in a soft blue scarf, presumably the one Melanie had found for her. The rooms were meant to allow sound through and the rhythm of Ziva's words was easily heard. She was praying and for some reason from the look on his face Eli was shocked by this.

Eli watched his daughter and while the man next to him likely did not understand the significance of what he was seeing Eli did. "How long has my daughter been in love with Gibbs?"

Tony couldn't stop the cough that broke through so much so that the women at the nurse's station eyed him closely until he muttered something about wrong pipe. "You got all that from a prayer?"

Eli smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "She has covered her hair while she prays, not everyone would understand but Ziva is….she does so as a sign of respect for the man she loves. The act has been twisted in many ways but it is often done by a married woman to honor her husband. She prays the _Mi Sheberakh _ a prayer for healing and she follows that with a prayer usually reserved for a woman to her beloved." Eli stepped back not ready for Ziva to see him just yet. "This is what everyone was reluctant to say, yes?"

Tony nodded. "To be fair none of us knew until a few hours ago. I think Gibbs believed he was going to die…" Tony had to stop speaking not enough time had passed for the words to be easy to say. "And frankly I wasn't sure how you would react."

Eli bit back a bitter laugh. "Who my daughter chooses to love is not for me to say Tony. I have had enough of a hand in her life, but I have to ask you do you think Ziva could love a man not worthy of her?"

Tony knew this conversation had to be one of the weirdest he'd ever had but he plowed ahead anyways. "I have no objection, I just know you and Gibbs have not always seen eye to all things considered…" Tony had to force away the anger that came every time he thought of Ari.

"Do you think Ziva could love a man that killed her brother, that I could ignore a man who had done such a thing?" He watched Tony's face, knew the moment the truth finally became clear.

"Ziva…but how could you, why would you?" Tony couldn't form a coherent thought.

"Because I saw what Ari was becoming, I did not want to believe it. I knew I would never believe what an outsider would tell me was truth. So I sent Ziva, I knew the truth would come from her. I never believed she would be forced to make such a choice." Eli saw the faint hints of disbelief on Tony's face. "You question how I know this; it is because I know my daughter. That man in there lied to protect her from me, from those that would hunt her for taking Ari's life. He has had my respect since then. Sometimes however it is necessary to let others believe what they will to keep everyone safe."

Tony felt his head spinning but had little time to think about it when Gibbs suddenly jerked on the bed and alarms suddenly began shrieking.

Gibbs felt a raging fire burning in his throat, his arms were heavy and his body felt as though he'd gone a hundred rounds. He was forcing his eyes open but the pain coursing through his throat was making everything difficult. He tried swallowing past the pain and felt as though he was suffocating He reached to claw at whatever was lodged so firmly in his throat. He felt hands pushing at his shoulders and almost fought back. It was only a pair of dark eyes and a halo of blue surrounding her that stopped him.

Tony watched Gibbs fighting the tube in his throat as he woke up, saw the nurses hurrying in but was stunned as Ziva held up a forceful hand. He was even more surprised when the nurses actually halted. Gibbs' struggling ceased as Ziva leaned in close.

Tony swallowed hard and tried to fill Eli in quickly. "They told us there could be brain damage and he might not ever speak again."

Eli nodded knowing this was a private moment one Gibbs would likely not appreciate him seeing but found he couldn't pull himself away.

Gibbs focused on those dark eyes; they watched him full of expectancy. He couldn't speak, could barely move, and the pain was almost enough to allow him to surrender back to darkness. Yet, the demand for recognition in those eyes was too much to be ignored. He tried for a smile but even that hurt. Instead he reached up with the arm entangled in tubes and touched her hair as he remembered doing just before the darkness had claimed him the first time. The moments in the bar came rushing back, the kiss he placed on her lips and a clear vision of the entire team being present for that kiss. Pressing a finger to her mouth he traced the outline of her lips and then touched the scarf draped around her. She smiled and only then did he see her step back. He almost forced himself up until he saw the nurses stepping forward.

He listened to the instructions, followed the directions given aiding in the removal of the tube in his throat. He recognized that the pain he was in meant the injury he'd sustained had been severe, the distress on Ziva's face compounded that knowledge. All of that was expected once the reality of his situation had hit. But he hadn't expected the virtual nothingness as he tried to speak. Neither did he expect her to bolt from the room at the raspy wisp of air that escaped in place of her name.


	10. Recovery

Ziva tried to slow her pace but the way she startled everyone as she burst through the waiting room door told her she failed. She managed to hold still long enough to make eye contact with the majority of her team. Briefly she realized she'd left Tony standing outside Gibbs room and someone else she hadn't focused on as she'd made her mad dash. "Gibbs is awake and he recognized me." Turning toward Abby she grabbed her arm "I need you with me."

Abby stared at Ziva for only a brief second and then followed her as she hurried out of the room and down a hallway. Abby only stopped when she nearly ran into Ziva who'd stopped abruptly before running into her father.

Ziva felt the world shift under her feet. "Aba?"

Eli saw the war in Ziva's mind, the need to know why he was standing by her and the need to get back in the room.

"I'll be here Ziva go see him." She looked at him another moment longer and then dragged the goth woman behind her into the room.

Ziva ignored the protests of the nurses in the room as she drug Abby in with her. Instead she fixed Abby with as calm a look as she could. "He cannot speak, you can translate."

Gibbs had watched Ziva run from the room like the devil himself were at her heels, he'd barely had time to wonder why and she was already back practically dragging Abby behind her. The exuberant smile on her face made her look far younger than she was and despite how much it hurt he smiled as he heard her speak. He might have laughed if moving didn't hurt so damn much. They'd removed the tube from his throat and he felt about thirty pounds lighter.

Abby jumped slightly and randomly gave Ziva a hug. "Of course I hadn't thought about that." Abby saw the nurses were looking ready to wage war and smiled. "Gibbs knows sign language and so do I. So you can ask him questions and he can answer through me."

Melanie finally understood what the rush had been. What little she knew about her patient was enough that he wouldn't have been content to have nothing other than pen and paper to answer with. "That's a fine idea." She looked at the other nurses and cleared them to leave. Turning back to her patient she addressed him, knowing his hearing was just fine.

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions; I need you to answer each one individually. Do you understand?"

Gibbs nodded trying not to stare at Ziva too much, she was smiling at him and damned if that didn't make him want to look at her that much more.

Melanie smiled. "Good. First do you know your name?"

Gibbs nodded and signed his name one letter at a time, winking at Abby as he did so. She giggled and verbalized what he'd signed. He knew it could easily get tedious so he moved his fingers quickly for a few seconds until Abby was giggling again.

Abby muffled her laughter and spoke to the nurse who respectfully kept her focus on Gibbs. "He told me his first name, the right day of the week, month and year."

Ziva cleared her throat and spoke to the nurse, "He knows the screwdriver he has had to answer these questions before when he did not have the correct answers." She saw Gibbs' mouth quirk up and the nurse bite back a smile of her own. "What?"

Gibbs signed again pointing at Ziva. He heard Abby convey his message and smiled more even though it hurt.

"It's knows the drill Ziva, not screwdriver." Abby heard Ziva sigh and shake her head.

Gibbs gestured for Abby's attention and signed again. He saw the mirth leave her face but the look he gave her made sure she asked the question he needed to know.

Abby paused in her bouncing and spoke as clearly as her nerves would let her. "He wants to know how bad the damage is, if it's permanent."

Melanie heard the woman behind her but kept her focus on her patient. "It's far too early to know at this point. And that's not me avoiding a hard answer. The damage to your throat was extensive as was the blood loss. We were more worried about your brain than anything else. Good to know you're all good there." She winked and then continued. "As for your voice, it is often a patient has difficulty talking after being intubated, and after an injury like yours healing can take some time. I honestly couldn't say. The doctor will be in to see you soon and he'll be able to tell you more."

Gibbs nodded, and then gestured a thank you which he saw she recognized. She gave him a stern look. "They can stay as long as you don't wear yourself out and I mean it. If you don't rest you can make this whole process worse. So say what you need to say and then sleep until the doctor comes in."

Gibbs nodded, watched her leave and then even though he should have been thanking Abby found his gaze again locked with Ziva. For just a moment he thought about holding back his thoughts, waiting until his voice returned but his mind protested violently at the thought. He held out his hand until she came to his side. Her fingers wrapped in his as she sank gently onto the side of his bed. For a long moment he just watched her savored the fact he was alive and breathing, that he had another chance.

He lifted his hand again to touch her face and saw a glimmer of gold around his wrist. He saw the Star of David normally firmly around her neck and felt the sting of tears behind his eyes.

He wanted to come up with something meaningful and poignant to say but his mind was rushing toward fatigue. Instead, he brought her hand to his mouth kissing the back of her hand and then signed to Abby before he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

Ziva looked to Abby, who had a look between surprise and amusement. "he said…You're stuck with me now." Abby wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Gibbs was going to be okay and apparently two of her favorite people were…together? Watching Ziva nestle her face against Gibbs' chest she let tears of joy win.


	11. Forever

Gibbs cursed at how limiting being forced to rest his voice was. He was home, forced to rest and spend serious time recovering. The doctor had even refused to clear him for work yet he had much to be grateful for. For one thing he was alive and well. Secondly the doctor said it was likely his voice would return as long as he gave it plenty of time to heal.

So he was here at home only hours after being released already feeling the frustration of being unable to work. Yet for once that emotion was easily pushed aside. As frustrating as it was to have to wait to get back to the life he'd known. Where before he would have pushed at the constraints he could accept them now as they meant more time to spend with Ziva. Glancing at his watch he knew it wouldn't be long before she was back from the store. She'd driven him home, fussed with getting him settled and then run out for groceries or whatever it was she'd muttered about grabbing. He'd almost laughed out loud at the way she'd hurried off. They hadn't had a chance to talk in private since everything had happened, no time to process being together both physically and in the way that all their colleagues seemed to accept. That too had caught him off guard, the way no one had seemed surprised or unsettled by the way he'd shared his affection toward Ziva. To be fair though Tony had given him a warning look at one point that told him there was at least something he didn't remember from right before he'd been injured.

Whatever had happened no one had been surprised at the way he held tightly to Ziva as he was being discharged. Even Vance hadn't seemed fazed. Later when he had more energy he would ask about that for now he was content to be alive and have Ziva. As though her name were some sort of signal she stepped through his door, arms burdened with grocery bags she refused to let him help with.

Ziva set the bags down and instantly felt his arms around her. His mouth locked with hers plying her mouth open reminding her of how powerful the feelings she had for him were. It was her undoing. The passion he'd intended was there but beyond all that was the very solid feel of him wrapped around her. The scent of him and how real he felt to her touch, vibrant and alive in comparison to cold and lifeless as he'd been only days ago. All the strength she'd managed to muster until now disappeared and she felt the sob welling up in her throat even as her fingers anchored into his shoulders.

Gibbs felt her tears washing over his cheeks even as he felt the sobs that shook her body. She was breaking apart in his arms and all he could do was hold her as they sank to the floor. Her sobs racked her body, even as she tried to fight them he felt the fear running through her beneath his fingertips. He spoke softly murmuring words of love that only touched the surface of what he felt and pressing kisses against her cheek.

"I thought I'd lost you. I'd never seen you like that before not even after the explosion on the ship. Then you were fighting, angry raging against everything lost to you. This time you were slipping away in my arms, so cold and.." she pulled in a stuttering breath knowing she was hanging on by a thread. "I thought you were gone and I couldn't accept that."

Gibbs held her so tightly he thought she might protest instead she only sank deeper into his touch. "I heard you Ziva. Heard you calling for me begging me to stay and I honestly believe you're the reason I managed. I couldn't let our one night be our only moment. I wanted so much more with you, still do." Her tear stained face looked up to his. He saw her frown at him and point to his throat but he denied her even that indulgence. He'd spend the next two weeks completely silent if necessary but this moment she needed and so did he. He compromised by keeping his voice a whisper which impacted his vocal cords far less.

"You're crazy." Ziva sniffled pulling back her tears and fighting against the grief that still bit at her rough edges.

"Maybe but I still want more with you. I told you that not so long ago."

"Feels like so long ago. Are you still as certain as you were then?" She saw his blue eyes fix on hers in a stare she knew well from work. She couldn't fight the smile since she knew it was meant to intimidate but only made her giggle.

"Even more certain. Being with you wasn't a fling Ziva. Unless you want something different I want you with me all the time." He saw the doubts clear like clouds form her eyes. She was a woman who'd been used most of her life. She'd spent most of her time pleasing others it wasn't arrogance that told him when she chose him it was about what she wanted. It was simply evident in the way she looked at him that she wanted him and no other. There was a satisfaction in that but even more than that he saw it for the gift it was.

Ziva saw the truth in his eyes and knew he wasn't the kind of man to lie to her just to ease her worry. He said what he meant and that was enough for her. She managed to stand bringing him with her. When she might have reached to put the groceries away she saw him tap the radio and then pull her into his arms.

His throat was starting to protest the words he'd had to have and so he pulled her into his arms instead. The radio floated something low and bluesy in the air perfect for the slow mellow dance he swayed her into. As though they'd been made to fit she rested her head on his shoulder relaxing into his lead. There in his kitchen with beat of the music and every step across the wood floor he showed her what his words couldn't, that she was his forever and nothing could change that.


End file.
